


somewhere in the world someone is gonna fall in love

by isloremipsumafterall



Category: Arrow (TV 2012), Vixen (Cartoon)
Genre: F/F, Femslash February
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-29
Updated: 2016-02-29
Packaged: 2018-05-23 23:28:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,646
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6133804
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/isloremipsumafterall/pseuds/isloremipsumafterall
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Laurel goes to Detroit to help Mari with a case and the two end up hitting it off.</p>
            </blockquote>





	somewhere in the world someone is gonna fall in love

“I need you to go to Detroit.” Oliver told her, making Laurel raise an eyebrow at him.

 

“Try again.” She said, crossing her arms.

 

Oliver made the face where he was trying not to be annoyed and equally knew she was right in something and reminded her of when they were younger and Laurel tried not to smirk at it.

 

“Please.” He said after.

 

“All right,” She patted him on the shoulder, “Now why am I going to Detroit?”

 

“Remember that friend I told you about that Barry and I met a few months back?”

 

Laurel racked her brain, trying to remember, “The one who could control the powers of animals?”

 

Oliver nodded, “She needs some help. I’d go but…”

 

“But Diggle and Lyla are out sick with Sara and you’re still worried over Thea going solo.” Laurel finished for him. “Which you shouldn’t be because she’d be fine.” Oliver didn’t budge and Laurel sighed. “But I’ll go anyway. I was curious about this hero anyway. What did Cisco name her again?”

 

“Vixen.”

 

~~

 

Detroit was a lot like Star City, right down to the number of muggings there seemed to be in one night and Laurel had already taken two out along her way to Mari’s house.

 

She was beginning to be glad she’d changed right into her Black Canary outfit when her train had arrived as she heard another mugging down an alleyway she passed. With a quick check to make sure her Canary Cry was still intact she opened her mouth to let out a scream but before she could a figure swooped in overhead, landing in the alley and there a sudden cry of what sounded like a cheetah before the men who had been robbing the person came running Laurel’s way.

 

She didn’t hesitate, slamming one of her staves into one of the muggers stomach and crouching to slam her other one into the other muggers calf, forcing them both down.

 

Footsteps made her look up, ready for another fight when out of the shadows stepped a woman in an orange and black uniform.

 

“You must be the Black Canary.” The woman – Mari, she assumed – stated.

 

Laurel stood up with a flick of her hair, twirling her staves slightly and then placing them back in their straps. She held out her hand and grinned, “And you must be Vixen.”

 

The muggers were passed out but it was probably still safer to use their codenames just in case. Actual introductions could wait.

 

“So you really can fly then,” Laurel said, a bit mystified by that and it made Mari snicker.

 

“Believe me when I found out it was just as much a shock for me as it was for everyone else seeing it.” Mari shook her head, smiling slightly at the memory.

 

“Arrow said you needed some help.”

 

“Yeah,” Mari nodded, “but not here, follow me.”

 

She touched her necklace and there was a flash of something, a creature Laurel couldn’t quite make out, and then Mari was walking over to the building closest to them and climbing it with ease. Laurel blinked and then took a breath, judging the building as best she could for footholds and making her way up it, not as smoothly as Mari had, especially with the bag on her side with all her stuff in it, but she liked to think she did well enough.

 

“Sorry,” Mari said once she had reached the edge of the roof and was about to push herself up onto it, she offered Laurel a hand that Laurel took with gratitude. “I keep forgetting not everyone can do that.”

 

“It’s impressive.” Laurel admitted, trying to catch her breath quietly, “I can see why Cisco keeps begging you to bring that necklace in for him to look at.”

 

Mari grinned at that, “One of these days I think I would like to meet him.”

 

“He’d love that too.” Laurel assured her, “Probably try to hook you up with some tech,” she tapped at the Canary Cry at her throat, “It’d be worth it.”

 

“I could use free wifi…” Mari tilted her head considerately.

 

“Hm, maybe best to talk to Felicity about that one.” Laurel told her and then nodded her head a bit to show she was okay to go when Mari wanted to.

 

They practically – or literally in Mari’s case – flew across the rooftops until they landed in the backyard of a small home.

 

“My dad’s place,” Mari explained, looking a little embarrassed, “Probably not cool for a hero to be crashing at their parents place but I still haven’t found a good place to live since I moved back here.”

 

“Believe me I think my father would rather I stay with him so he could keep an eye on me.” Laurel told her as they walked in the backdoor, Mari showed her the washroom where she could get changed out of her costume and when she came out and walked down the short hallway into the kitchen Mari was there making coffee.

 

“So how many animals do you have in there,” Laurel took the cup with a smile of thanks and gestured at the necklace.

 

Mari shrugged, “A dozen at least, for all I know there could be more. I’m still looking for answers.”

 

“I hope you find them,” Laurel took a sip of her coffee and they walked over the table to take a seat. “So, what kind of help did you need?”

 

“The mob,” Mari stated bluntly, making a face at even the concept of it, “Two bosses are fighting and everyone’s been getting hurt in the crossfire. I’ve located their bases but if I storm one…”

 

“The other will take it that they can run rampant in their place.” Laurel had had her fair share of prosecuting mobsters in Star City and she tapped her fingers on the table, thinking, “We’ll have to make sure there’s enough evidence that even the most corrupt politician they’ve bought off can’t help them.”

 

Mari stood up, opening the drawer in the small desk next to the table and withdrawing a map, she unfolded it and placed it on the table, pointing out the two locations.

 

“We’ll have to hit them both in one night.” She said, “But fast enough that other doesn’t get a warning.”

 

Laurel stood to hover over the map next to Mari, her fingers brushing over Mari’s as she studied it before she pulled away quickly in a silent apology that Mari didn’t even seem to notice she was looking at the map so intently.

 

“Don’t suppose you know an underground map as well?” Laurel asked, looking at the two areas of the city.

 

“Nope,” Mari frowned, “Would be convenient.”

 

“Let me call Felicity, see if she can send one to me.” Laurel reached over to her bag to find her phone, “Then we can start figuring out a plan.”

 

~~

 

Felicity was busy with helping Oliver since it was only them and Thea protecting the city that night and didn’t get back to Laurel until the morning with a ‘sorry!’.

 

Mari had offered to take the couch during her stay while Laurel could have her bed but Laurel had insisted the couch was fine.

 

“After so many late nights where I’d fall asleep at my desk believe me, I can sleep anyway.” Laurel grinned at her as she took the blanket Mari offered.

 

“If you’re sure.” Mari crossed her arms, “My dad won’t be back for a while, we should have the house to ourselves for the week.”

 

“Hopefully enough time to take out the mob.” Laurel chuckled to herself at how easy that sentence came out.

 

Mari caught on and shook her head, smiling, “Do you ever get used to this?”

 

Laurel hesitated in her answer, thinking about the past years with lazarus pits and a league of assassin’s and meta humans a few states over.

 

“Never mind, I think I just got my answer,” Mari said, holding up a hand.

 

Laurel offered her a consoling smile, “The good thing is you don’t have to do it alone.”

 

“Yeah,” Mari echoed in agreement, “Thanks for coming by the way.”

 

“No problem, I wanted to meet the person who could allude both Oliver and Barry,” Laurel teased, and then sat on the couch, patting it to indicate Mari should take a seat too, “I’d love to hear your side of the story.”

 

Mari took the seat, crossing her legs and facing Laurel with a grin, “Make it as embarrassing for them as I can?”

 

“Please.”

 

They stayed up for most of the night discussing various things that had happened to them until they were both yawning enough times that they gave into sleep.

 

~~

 

At breakfast they agreed to stakeout the mob’s places as best they could, walking around that area of the city like tourists and taking pictures like they were just posing.

 

When one of the flunkies seemed to be watching them too closely Mari leaned in closely to her.

 

“I can’t tell if he suspects us or wants to hit on us.” She muttered into Laurel’s ear making her snort in amusement.

 

“Could be both.” Laurel turned slightly her way, eyes catching Mari’s. “We should throw him off, any ideas?”

 

Mari hummed and then leaned in close enough that Laurel could tell where she was going with it and tilted her head just enough to brush her lips against Mari’s.

 

The flunkie leered at them and they both rolled their eyes, Laurel slipped her arm through Mari’s and began to walk them away.

 

“You know normally I’m a ‘take me out for a meal’ sort of girl first.” Laurel joked and Mari grinned.

 

“You know there could be a good place a few blocks from here,” Mari said innocently, indicating the other side of town where the other mob boss was.

 

“Lead on,” Laurel told her and followed Mari into the other part of the city, keeping close to her the whole time.

 

~~

 

They made it back to Mari’s place and stuck the pictures they had gotten on Mari’s computer, looking over them and the maps they had, Chinese food in their laps from where they had stopped and gotten some.

 

One of the photos was taken by an actual tourist who had spotted them snapping pictures and offered to take one of the both of them and they’d felt to keep their cover they said yes.

 

“We don’t make a bad looking couple.” Mari teased, looking over at Laurel, “But we seriously need to talk about why you have a jean jacket.”

 

Laurel huffed in mock hurt, “You try packing in the middle of the night after fighting a bunch of guys when you didn’t have a chance to do laundry yet.”

 

“The true glamourous life of a hero.” Mari sighed. “But really a jean jacket, Laurel?”

 

Laurel threw an eggroll at her in retaliation that Mari just caught and ate, she leaned over the table to steal one from Mari’s box but Mari grabbed it before she could.

 

“So Oliver says that you’re trying to be a fashion designer.” Laurel changed tactics and subjects, waiting for Mari to be off guard to steal an eggroll.

 

“Trying being the key word here.” Mari made a face, “Now that I’ve got some direction I’m just left trying to pitch it to someone.”

 

“Can I see what you’ve got?” Laurel asked, genuinely curious and Mari blinked in surprise but grinned, walking away with carton in hand and coming back with a binder.

 

Laurel set her food down and wiped her hands carefully so she didn’t smudge anything as she flipped through the pages.

 

“Mari these are really good,” Laurel looked up at her with a grin, “Like red carpet good.”

 

Mari held her head up in obvious pride, “Think you can tell the people who interview me that.”

 

“I’ll be a reference.” Laurel joked, “When they ask how we know each other I’ll say it happened one night in an alley and she was a real animal in bed.” Laurel winked when Mari choked on her food as she laughed loudly at what Laurel had said.

 

“Is this what it’s like on a regular night with you guys? Puns?” Mari asked once she had stopped laughing.

 

“Actually not really, everything’s usually much more serious. For the puns though you should team up with Flash. Cisco won’t disappoint you there.”

 

They shared another laugh before turning back to their plotting.

 

~~

 

They spent the next day scouting the tunnel that was between the two mobs, checking it to see how it was guarded.

 

Once more they walked around hand in hand and pretended to take pictures.

 

When they had gathered up enough data a few days later for a solid plan they took to the streets at night.

 

“Ready?” Mari asked, turning towards Laurel.

 

“Let’s do this.” Laurel smirked and then they rushed towards the building, Mari taking in the power of an elephant as Laurel unleashed a Canary Cry.

 

It took them half an hour to get everyone knocked out and another half an hour after that to get them all rounded up and tied up, calling the police as they did and then making their way down the tunnel to attack the second mob.

 

By the end of the night they were both exhausted and trailing on their feet as they made their way back to Mari’s place. Laurel nearly fell asleep in the hot shower and was only woken up by how it turned cold as Mari turned her own shower on in the other washroom.

 

They came out stumbling and yawning and when Laurel turned to make her way towards the couch Mari rested a hand on her shoulder, jerking her head towards her room.

 

“We both need a good sleep, bed’s big enough and that couch is something you’d just feel in the morning.” Mari said and Laurel was too tired to deny that.

 

They fell asleep within ten minutes of lying down and slept until noon the next day, groaning at the light that filtered in at the window at an angle that was blinding to them.

 

Her muscles tired in a way that Laurel was far too used to those days she got out of the bed and made her way to the kitchen, Mari following her with a slight grumbling about daylight.

 

Two cups of coffee both later and they were feeling slightly more awake, watching as the news broadcasted the capture of both mob groups.

 

“Not bad,” Laurel said, smiling into her cup as she took a sip.

 

“We make a pretty good team.” Mari stated, “Better then Oliver and Barry.”

 

“Tell that the next time you talk to them but let me know in advance so I can take a picture of their faces.” Laurel snickered.

 

They fell quiet and just relaxed around the house, Laurel booked a ticket back to Star City for the next afternoon.

 

“It’s a shame you’ve got to leave.” Mari said as she packed, “Never did get to that restaurant for lunch.”

 

“I’ll take a raincheck,” Laurel promised, slipping Mari her number, “But keep in touch.”

 

Mari’s fingers brushed hers as she took the slip of paper and she grinned, “Jean jacket aside you don’t make a bad fake girlfriend.”

 

Just for that Laurel shrugged on the jean jacket, grinning at Mari, “I don’t make a bad real girlfriend either.”

 

Mari pretended to hum considerately, “I’d have to judge that later.”

 

“Well I’ve got time for a quick meal before my train,” Laurel hoisted her bag on her shoulder, “We could always test the theory now.”

 

“How do you feel about Big Belly Burger shakes?”

 

“They make for a good first date drink.”

 

“Just what I was thinking.” Mari grinned and led her out, hand brushing by Laurel’s as they walked out the door.


End file.
